In 2012, U.S. Rep. Paul Broun Jr. (R-GA), tried to push through legislation that would allow people of any age to join the military as long as they could meet the minimum health and fitness requirements. The House voted 256-164 against the military age restrictions measure.
Broun introduced the bill after speaking with an unnamed ultra-marathon runner who was denied enlistment in the Army for being a few month… Full Article

Frequenting veteran-owned businesses is a great way to show support for returning service members and their families. But it’s not always easy to know whether a business – big or small – is veteran owned or operated. There certainly are a lot of them: The National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) estimates there are 3 million veteran-owned businesses.
Former military members prove that are often i… Full Article

Veterans Day is almost upon us.
November 11th is the one day set aside each year to honor those who have served and continue to serve our nation. Not to be confused with Memorial Day, the day we pay tribute to fallen service members, Veterans Day offers a great opportunity to teach civilians about the sacrifice service members and their families make year-round. How do you plan to celebrate this year? Here ar… Full Article

Do you get excited when when you open your mailbox and find an expected letter from a friend or family member, or when you get a random text message from an old friend? Now, take that feeling and amplify it tenfold. That's what it feels like to receive a letter when you're deployed.
Writing letters is a great tradition and becoming a pen pal to an American troop overseas is one of the many ways you can support our… Full Article

Being deployed to Iraq had its ups and downs, but receiving packages from home definitely made the time I spent there less stressful.
Some of the best care packages I received were the ones that had practical items in it. We don't have a whole lot of room for clutter, so sometimes the things that are most important to us are the most useful things that help us do our job.
While it's nice to get a sentimental to… Full Article

As the winter winds bring back the cold weather and holiday season, the National Hockey League hits the ice for another season. Military families can receive discounted tickets to select teams’ home games throughout the 2016-17 NHL season.
The NHL has partnered with GovX to provide active, reserve, veteran and retired military service members discounted tickets to NHL games with a valid military ID. Discounts an… Full Article

As Major League Baseball puts away the bats and pinstripes after another season, the NBA is just getting geared up. Military families are in for a treat: many NBA teams offer discounts to military members and their families. The NBA has partnered with GovX to provide active, reserve, veteran and retired military service members discounted tickets to NBA games online with valid military ID.
Here's a list of NBA tea… Full Article

Sitting on a sectional in his sunlit office in Los Angeles, Gary Sinise likes to tell stories that enliven the hundreds of framed photographs covering his walls and shelves. The longtime actor becomes especially animated when he leans forward to talk about four black and white photos — one of his grandfather from World War I, two others of his uncles in World War II, and one of his father, who served in the Navy du… Full Article

Ever thought of becoming an astronaut? Who hasn't?
While military service certainly isn't required to join NASA, it might help. 219 of the 330 current and former U.S. astronauts also served in the armed forces. Though they've mostly served in the Air Force and Navy, every branch has been represented.
Many of the most famous NASA astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and John Glenn, were members of t… Full Article

I was out to dinner with my wife the other night when I caught myself saying to the waiter, “But I’m a veteran!” It got me to thinking about how much I use that term in a negative manner.
I’ve been the guy that cursed out the young cashier at Best Buy because she asked for my ID when I bought an R-rated movie. “I’m a veteran,” I said, to excuse my behavior.
What an absolute fool, right? Just because w… Full Article

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